Nicki Minaj's Roman Empire

12/12/23 • 50 min

3 Listeners

Nicki Minaj is one of the most unique rappers of all time. She’s given us numerous iconic guest verses from “Monster” to “Flawless (Remix),” everlasting hits like “Super Bass” and “Starships,” and legions of loyal fans in the Barbz. She’s also given us over twenty alter-egos in the course of her career. However, no alter-ego of hers has been more impactful than Roman. The voice at the center of Nicki’s most unhinged music, the “Roman” persona serves a conduit for Nicki to put forward a high level of theatricality and character work in her music, from beats to bars. And to understand Nicki, you need to understand Roman.

This episode of Switched on Pop, producer Reanna Cruz takes us on a journey through the history of Roman, on the heels of Nicki Minaj’s latest record, Pink Friday 2.

Songs Discussed:

Nicki Minaj – Chun-Li
Nicki Minaj – Red Ruby Da Sleeze
Nicki Minaj – Itty Bitty Piggy
Kanye West, Nicki Minaj, Jay-Z, Rick Ross, Bon Iver – Monster
Nicki Minaj – Roman In Moscow
Nicki Minaj – Pound the Alarm
Nicki Minaj – Starships
Ludacris, Nicki Minaj – My Chick Bad
Nicki Minaj, PTAF – Boss A** B**** (with PTAF) – Remix
Nicki Minaj, Eminem – Roman's Revenge
Nicki Minaj – Come On A Cone
Nicki Minaj – Beez In The Trap
Nicki Minaj – Roman Holiday
Eminem – The Way I Am
Eminem – My Name Is
Lil' Kim – Queen B****
Nicki Minaj, Drake, Lil Wayne – Truffle Butter
Trey Songz, Nicki Minaj – Bottoms Up (feat. Nicki Minaj)
Nicki Minaj – Barbie Dreams
Nicki Minaj – Super Freaky Girl – Roman Remix
Nicki Minaj – My Life

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This episode of Switched on Pop, producer Reanna Cruz takes us on a journey through the history of Roman, on the heels of Nicki Minaj’s latest record, Pink Friday 2.

Songs Discussed:

Nicki Minaj – Chun-Li
Nicki Minaj – Red Ruby Da Sleeze
Nicki Minaj – Itty Bitty Piggy
Kanye West, Nicki Minaj, Jay-Z, Rick Ross, Bon Iver – Monster
Nicki Minaj – Roman In Moscow
Nicki Minaj – Pound the Alarm
Nicki Minaj – Starships
Ludacris, Nicki Minaj – My Chick Bad
Nicki Minaj, PTAF – Boss A** B**** (with PTAF) – Remix
Nicki Minaj, Eminem – Roman's Revenge
Nicki Minaj – Come On A Cone
Nicki Minaj – Beez In The Trap
Nicki Minaj – Roman Holiday
Eminem – The Way I Am
Eminem – My Name Is
Lil' Kim – Queen B****
Nicki Minaj, Drake, Lil Wayne – Truffle Butter
Trey Songz, Nicki Minaj – Bottoms Up (feat. Nicki Minaj)
Nicki Minaj – Barbie Dreams
Nicki Minaj – Super Freaky Girl – Roman Remix
Nicki Minaj – My Life

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Previous Episode

Hear the Year: The music we loved in 2023

When you make a weekly podcast about pop music, there’s some things that, naturally, slip through the cracks. On this episode of Switched On Pop, our hosts – alongside our editor, Jolie Myers, our engineer, Brandon McFarland, and our producer, Reanna Cruz – try to course correct that by discussing our team’s (and a listener’s) favorite picks of 2023. Whether it’s something we got to in the later months or something we felt still deserved its flowers, this episode hops around genres to show the musical versatility of the Switched On Pop team. We even got some of our selections, specifically Laufey and Chappell Roan, on the show to talk about the music that made our year. Who knows: maybe you’ll find the song to top your personal best-of list!

Songs Discussed:

Troye Sivan ft. Guitarricadelafuente - In My Room
Troye Sivan - Rush
Troye Sivan - One Of Your Girls
Daft Punk ft. Julian Casablancas - Instant Crush
Victoria Monet - On My Mama
Chalie Boi - I Look Good
Victoria Monét ft. Earth, Wind & Fire + Hazel Monét - Hollywood
Laufey - Bewitched
Laufey - Questions For The Universe
Laufey - Dreamer
Laufey - From The Start
Laufey - Misty
Stray Kids - S-Class
Sampha - Spirit 2.0
Little Dragon - Twice
James Blake - There’s A Limit To Your Love
Chappell Roan - Super Graphic Ultra Modern Girl
Chappell Roan - Casual
Chappell Roan - Femininomenon
Village People - Y.M.C.A.
Chappell Roan - HOT TO GO!

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Next Episode

"Did I mention that it's Christmas in this club?" (w Matt Rogers)

Holiday album releases sometimes have a sense of pandering to them. "I'm a pop star. Here's me singing the nineteen-millionth cover of 'Jingle Bell Rock.' Please give me money."

The comedian and singer Matt Rogers understands this dichotomy of the holiday hit—part grotesque cash-grab, part unfathomably genuine cheer—better than anyone. His new album, Have You Heard of Christmas?, mines that tension for tragicomic gold.

"Also It's Christmas," the album opener, announces this satirical spirit blithely, with an exhortation to "play this song seasonally!" "Rum Pum Pum" turns the little drummer's beat into a sexy club anthem: "Saw your name on the naughty list highlighted in red / Now you're up in the club in someone else's sweat." Over the course of Have You Heard..., Rogers poses questions that poke at the edges of Christmas lore: "Is it weird to hook up on Christmas day?" "How does it feel to be the hottest female in Whoville?" And, "Why does Santa needs so much lube for his sleigh?"

Matt joined Nate and Charlie to share how his pop writing draws from sketch comedy rhythm, the influence he drew from both Ariana Grande and the Lonely Island, and how he accidentally created a sincere holiday hit in the middle of making a comedy album.

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